John Lindal’s Blog

Humility

December 25, 2009 on 12:31 pm | In Deep Thoughts, Faith | No Comments

I recently read The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief because it was recommended to me by a retired pastor who is a friend of my wife. Now I recommend it, too. The science is clearly presented, and the arguments for the existence of God are worth considering.

When I went to find the book on Amazon, I discovered that there is a whole cottage industry based on writing books like this. I was a bit surprised, but I really shouldn’t be. People on both sides of the debate never cease to propound their opposing views. Why shouldn’t there be a group who tries to bridge the chasm?

The sad part is that all three groups mostly get it wrong. Regardless of the point of view — be it bible only, bible+science, or science only — they almost always fall into the trap of thinking that they actually know how the universe really works.

The fact is, we don’t.

We cannot prove that God exists. If He does not exist, we are left wondering how the universe came to exist and what our purpose is, if any. If He does exist, we are left wondering how He came to exist and, if you accept the Bible, why He behaves the way He does.

It is quite humbling to admit that we just don’t know what is really going on. It is also scary, however, which is probably why most people cling desperately to one viewpoint or another. (This applies to all religions, not just Christianity.)

However, if people would accept this dose of humility, then I think we would all find it much easier to get along.